Why are those crazy people adopting?
9:04 AM Posted In why adopt? Edit This 7 Comments »
Justin and I are going to be the crazy people in the scenario...! (Not Madonna or Angelina Jolie... also did you hear Queen Latifah wants to adopt??)(We do not actually think they are crazy either, but applaud their efforts at bringing attention to the needs of children in the world. And, by all accounts, being pretty good parents.)
It really just bothers us... gets under our skin... that there are kids with no parents. That is really at the heart of it. Plus, we have so much love to give. So, why keep it to ourselves? I am not sure how far we will ride on the wave of 'there are so many kids without parents,' but there may or may not be more adopted kids in our future.
Why not adopt from the U.S.?
Because of my work, I don't have a very trusting view of the 'system' that puts kids up for adoption in the U.S. I don't trust them to give me the necessary background information so that Justin and I would be able to adequately prepare for the child's needs. And, private adoption in the U.S. is out of our current budget. ALSO, and this reason is probably the bigger of the two for not adopting from the U.S. right now: Kids in the U.S., even the large majority of kids in fostercare, have access to resources (food, water, school) that an orphan child in Ethiopia would never have access to. So, we are going with the place where we feel like there is the most need right now.
Why Ethiopia?
From the minute we heard that it was an option we were drawn to Ethiopia. The country's history and people were something we were interested in learning about. Also, the program costs and requirements best fit our family. Some countries we are actually not old enough to adopt from. We are about to enter a transitioning phase of life (even without a baby) when Justin finishes grad school, so we needed to adopt from a place that fit in the right time frame.
Questions? Thoughts?
(I am moderating comments... so don't worry if your comment doesn't show up right away. I check my email compulsively. Your comment will be up soon!)
It really just bothers us... gets under our skin... that there are kids with no parents. That is really at the heart of it. Plus, we have so much love to give. So, why keep it to ourselves? I am not sure how far we will ride on the wave of 'there are so many kids without parents,' but there may or may not be more adopted kids in our future.
Why not adopt from the U.S.?
Because of my work, I don't have a very trusting view of the 'system' that puts kids up for adoption in the U.S. I don't trust them to give me the necessary background information so that Justin and I would be able to adequately prepare for the child's needs. And, private adoption in the U.S. is out of our current budget. ALSO, and this reason is probably the bigger of the two for not adopting from the U.S. right now: Kids in the U.S., even the large majority of kids in fostercare, have access to resources (food, water, school) that an orphan child in Ethiopia would never have access to. So, we are going with the place where we feel like there is the most need right now.
Why Ethiopia?
From the minute we heard that it was an option we were drawn to Ethiopia. The country's history and people were something we were interested in learning about. Also, the program costs and requirements best fit our family. Some countries we are actually not old enough to adopt from. We are about to enter a transitioning phase of life (even without a baby) when Justin finishes grad school, so we needed to adopt from a place that fit in the right time frame.
Questions? Thoughts?
(I am moderating comments... so don't worry if your comment doesn't show up right away. I check my email compulsively. Your comment will be up soon!)
7 comments:
K an J,
I am so proud of you! This is an awesome avenue to communicate your love and desire to adopt! I can't wait to hold my little grand child!!! We are praying for a healthy, happy and wonderful child to fill our hearts and lives ( and more importantly ARMS!) with joy.
Love,
Gma CC to be
I applaud your decision to adopt, as there are so many children in need of a loving home. What a blessing it will be to both you and the child when he/she becomes a part of your family. I am looking forward to hearing more about your expanding family.
God Bless,
Kristy (Holsombake) Patterson
That is so amazing! You both will be amazing parents to this very blessed child! :) I look forward to keeping up with this blog
We didn't get to fully express how excited we are for you guys while freezing outside my parents' house, so I just wanted to say how great it is that you guys are adopting. Baby Burton is very lucky to already have so many people anxiously awaiting his/her arrival and ready to love him/her! We'll be keeping up with your journey - good luck!
(Also, thanks to Justin, we now snicker anytime we hear the word "duty.")
Thanks for posting on my blog... i wish I had known about all the Ethiopian stuff there! It was such a quick trip though.
Great description of your whys of adopting. i made a similar post and have referred people to it when they had questions. Good luck in the process!
Kathryn and Justin,
My heart was filled with joy, and I felt an instant connection when Ken and Diane told me about your adoption plans. I understand all these reasons and more for wanting to adopt internationally. We were logged in on 1-23-06 for China. When we chose China in March 2005, the wait was about 6 months from log-in date. That wait has lengthened to about 18-20 months. Actually, we are anticipating a match and travel about the same time as you are now. Kathryn, you are 24 and I am 42 so God's timing cannot be questioned--it all leads us to the precious child He is choosing for us. I'm so glad He's in control--that's what I've learned the most. I've read copious amounts of material and followed and the rules, and yet, He says wait a little longer. I will check your blog and keep up with your progress. If ever I can support you in any way, please e-mail. God bless you each and every day of the journey.
Karen Johnson Lykins
Cookeville, TN
I followed the comment you left and back-tracked all the way to the beginning to get the straight story on Baby Burton. When I first saw the title I thought, of course, they're pregnant, but then I saw the description. All I can say is wow, what a journey. I look forward to keeping up with the blog.
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